In fact, managing or staying on any kind of normal diet will be close to impossible. This is especially true if you’re in a place where options are very limited.

Luckily for you, science has given us a lot of revealing information about dietary nutrition and the way our physiology works. The fitness industry has evolved in leaps and bounds over the last several years because of the studies and research that have been done in the current decade.

New theories have come out with methods promising better results when it comes to nutrition, physical fitness, and anything else involving the way you look and feel.

While deciding to go on a 12 day cruise, I realized that I was going to have to play it smart and do my homework. Up until the day of my flight to Florida I managed to decrease my body fat and get pretty shredded.

I didn’t want all of that work to be for nothing. That’s when I discovered the following methods below. You don’t have to use each one of these, but the more you use the better off you’ll be.

Let’s get started…

#1: Intermittent fasting

When thinking about ways I could stay lean and keep my body fat as low as possible, the first thing the came to mind was intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting has various benefits, one of the most attractive being that you can eat whatever you want as long as it’s within a certain period of time. The most popular way of doing it right now is by using a 16 hour fast and an 8 hour window of eating whatever you want.

A lot of people claim their ability to stay shredded all year round is because of intermittent fasting. It has even been shown to help reduce body fat, build muscle, prevent cancer and even help you live longer.

For even better results, make sure you are timing your workouts right before you have a big meal, so the calories can be used as efficiently as possible.

Of course, that brings me to the next one which is also pretty obvious and that is working out.

#2: Working Out Hard Every Day (And Lifting Heavy & Intense)

My goal here is to not only lift hard but very heavy and with very little rest. Now I don’t recommend a lot of people do this especially if you’re new to lifting weights.

But if possible, give each workout the intensity you need to stimulate muscle building and hypertrophy. I would keep the workouts focused mostly on compound movements like the bench press, deadlifts, squats, and overweight press, centered around major muscle groups.

In other words, if you’re on vacation for a long period of time, you’ll basically be bulking. Your calories will already be in a surplus, so you may as well get the most out of it. Your goal should then be focused on putting on size.

Doing a small light workout is not going to demand much energy from the body. On the other side, doing heavy workouts that really stresses the muscles will better use the calories from your meal because it would need both the energy to refuel as well as rebuild the muscles that have just been annihilated during your workout.

Something else worth mentioning is that I usually have a pretty active lifestyle and vacation. Results will vary if you are just laying out by the pool and drinking margaritas for most of the day.

My vacations usually include hiking, climbing, exploring, scuba diving, and anything else that gets my adrenaline pumping. The heavy lifting gym sesh will the icing on top of my already active vacation.

I could eat all day long but as long as I’m active, the majority of those calories can be burned off.

Just be as active as possible.

#3: Meal Replacements: 100% Food FTW

The second obvious choice would be the use of meal replacements. These could be things like protein bars, or even powders that you mix with water or milk in a blender. They are meant to give you a full spectrum of carbs fats and proteins and essentially replace a meal.

My favorite meal replacement to date is 100% Food. This product by Space Nutrients Station has options ranging from 500 to 700 cal. You even have the choice of protein from plant, soy, and of course whey.

They all come in individual bottles which makes meal prepping pretty simple. Their macros are on point and they have high enough calories that can even help me reach my caloric goals as I need to. They consist of multiple super foods and is probably going to be the healthiest meal replacement you can find.

For my trip, I can pack 24 of these meals, each one being 628 calories. This means I can have two of them each day, getting nearly 1300 cals that are actually from a nutritious and healthy food source.

I can even add protein bars in addition to the two shakes a day, and really get a good percentage of my caloric goals eliminated.

P.S: If a lot of this sounds foreign to you, and you have no clue what nutrient goals or macros or any of that even means, I have a future post coming that will explain that in more detail.

#4: Cheat With Intelligence (Don’t Get Caught!)

This is an obvious one or at least I hope so. By cheat intelligently, I mean that you have to make sure you’re getting enough protein each day.

The LAST thing you want to do is lose muscle. Instead of ordering a pound of pasta for example, you can also add a chicken breast or some kind of protein source to every meal.

It’s very easy to just load up on carbs all day which could contribute to a lot of weight gain. I’m not saying that I’ll be avoiding them, but I will make sure I maximize the amount of protein I’m taking in at every chance.

Even while eating out you can try to remain as healthy as possible. You could order from a menu a 12 ounce sirloin with a side of brown rice and sweet potato, for example.

I know…this is where you’ll need to use some will power. If I can have just a little self control, I can still have a delicious meal when I go out to eat, and not have to order a million other appetizers along with it.

#5: Use a “Nutrient Repartitioning Agent”

Like a lot of the new research coming out about nutrition, science has found ingredients and compounds that have shown to reduce absorption of certain carbs, making them perfect for supplement companies to take advantage of.

Now, with products like Glycolog by Blackstone Labs, Cheaters by BSN, indigo-3G and even one that’s actually called CHEATmeals, they are all over!

So which one do I recommend?

I personally use a product called Glucose Disposal Agent by 1st Phorm. They are a solid company with a 110% money back guarantee on their stuff. I haven’t used many of the other products but 1st Phorm has never let me down with their quality of ingredients, so I saw no reason to switch.

#6: Take a Thermogenic Fat Burner

Of course, for obvious reasons we’re throwing this advice in there. If you’re going to be stuffing your face with whatever you want, why NOT use a fat burner? Of course you’re not going to stay 100% shredded if you’re eating anything in sight, but you can at least try to reduce the damage you do.

We ARE doing damage. There is no doubt about it. But with damage control methods like these it can be very minimal, and sometimes not even noticeable.

A good fat burner won’t prevent you from adding extra body fat if you don’t use some kind of diet. But it WILL give you is energy, help curb your appetite, and boost your metabolism.

If you’re a guy, I recommend the Commander Go Pack, and if you’re a girl then go with the Bliss Go Pack. They should help do the trick.

Using a fat burner 2-3 times a day along with a Nutrient Repartitioning Agent can help keep you in maximum leanness despite the 800 calorie cheesecake you’ve been eyeing up.

BONUS TIP: If you take a lot of supplements, it can be really hard to stuff 8-10 bottles of pills in your suitcase. It is not only a hassle, but takes up a lot of time.

Instead, use a supplement organizer. You can take 10 different bottles of stuff, and have an entire week supply in the same space that it takes you to add one or two big bottles of supplements.

Plus, you get the extra convenience of knowing exactly what you need to take and at once time (I know, taking a lot of stuff can be a real pain in the ass)

Now Relax – It’s Time to Enjoy Yourself

Alright, so now you know what to do to stay shredded, burn fat and lose weight while you’re traveling or on vacation. The most important thing you can do now is relax. You’re going to be on vacation for goodness sake. If fitness is causing you stress even when it’s time to go on your long awaited getaway, then that’s a sign that you are getting too out of touch with what life is all about.

Life is meant to be enjoyed. And vacations are one of those times where you really get to let loose and truly live it up. Don’t overthink each and every one of the meals you have, and then beat yourself up over it and feel guilty while hanging out in the Bahamas!

With the above 6 tips, you can still eat whatever you want, let go, and still look pretty amazing no matter how much you ate or alcohol you consumed.

On that note, please drink responsibly.

If you’re going on vacation soon or already did, let me know where you guys went! Do you have any tips or advice that you do while you’re on vacation that helped keep you looking good? I’d love to hear some more feedback.